POLICY REPORT
BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT
Date: August 17, 1995
Dept. File No. MBR
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager, Community Services
SUBJECT: Development Application - Artist Live/Work Studios
453 West 6th Avenue (C-3A)
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT staff process artist 'live/work' studio development
application No. DE 400003 in the normal manner.
B. THAT development applications for artist 'live/work' studios
in industrial zones only (I, M, IC and MC) continue to be
reported to Council for advice.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
A and B.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council policy, as reflected in various by-law provisions and
guidelines, has been to accommodate development of artist 'live/work'
studios. On December 15, 1994, Council resolved that all applications
for artist 'live/work' studios be reported to Council for its advice.
On March 28, 1995, Council approved various artist 'live/work' studio
policy changes and that the policies identifying restrictions for
artist 'live/work' studios on industrial lands apply to development
applications submitted after the approval of these policies, pending
the consideration of the proposed zoning amendments.PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to notify Council of a development
application for artist 'live/work' studios, pursuant to Council's
resolution of December 15, 1994.
DISCUSSION
Development Application No. DE 400003
This application, in the C-3A zone at 453 West 6th Avenue (shown on
Appendix A map), proposes a new building with a height of 16.2 m (53.1
ft), 220 m› (2,368 sq.ft.) of commercial on the main floor and twelve
(12) artist 'live/work' studios on the second and third floors.
Eighteen parking spaces and one loading space are provided and a
parking relaxation has not been requested. Relaxation of 1 loading
bay has been requested and is supported by Engineering. The owner of
the property is Trafalgar House Lands Ltd. and the applicant is
Timothy Ankeman Architect. The artist 'live/work' studios are
proposed to be strata titled and have double height spaces with
mezzanines comprising 40% of the floor area below resulting in an FSR
of 2.96.
The application is in compliance with applicable by-laws and
guidelines. Given that this is a commercial rather than industrial
zone, none of the policies adopted by Council on March 28, 1995, apply
to this proposed development. The C-3A zone allows both residential
and artist studios as conditional approval uses. The Cambie Street C-
3A guidelines do not encourage residential use in this area due to its
proximity to industrial uses one block to the east. However, staff
consider the artist studio use (with associated dwelling use) to be
appropriate for this location in consideration of the production
undertaken in the creation of artistic products.
Notification
A development application sign was posted on the site and nine letters
of notification were sent. Two letters were received, both opposing
the proposal. The reasons cited in opposition were: inadequate
parking; height of the building; the livability of the studio units
located close to the Cambie Bridge; and, the possible complaints from
future residents of the proposed studios due to noise from surrounding
businesses, including an autobody shop located 16 m to the east on 6th
Avenue.
Staff's response to these objections are:
- the parking complies with the by-law requirements;
- the height is in context to the surrounding, existing
developments; and
- purely residential uses are conditionally permitted in similar
noise environments in other C-3A areas and these environmental
conditions can be mitigated through acoustic measures.
Reporting Artist 'live/work' Studios to Council
Staff are seeking guidance from Council on the need to report artist
'live/work' studio applications in non-industrial zones. The majority
of issues surrounding this use have been associated with industrial
zones and reporting a development application to Council for advice
does delay processing.
CONCLUSION
This application for commercial use and artist 'live/work' studios is
reported to Council for advice. The proposed development is located in
a commercial zone and therefore does not generate the issues related
to artist 'live/work' studio use located in industrial zones. Staff
recommend that only future development applications for artist
'live/work' studios in industrial areas be reported to Council for
advice.
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